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If you have been reading stuff on my blog for a very long time, you might remember that roughly a year ago I made a post in anger because my parents didn’t want to buy me a cellphone, when a lot of my friends had one. https://amazingscott.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/cellphones/
A week ago in Geography we started getting ready for Model UN. So, we learned some negotiation tactics. I tried to use the tactics to get a phone on Thursday. 5 days later, I’m getting one. They worked like magic. I know this will be useful to people everywhere, whether you’re trying to get a phone yourself, trying to get a raise, or trying to convince someone into doing something, so here they are.

Assume a reasonable stance. Make a reasonable offer/demand at the beginning

Demand more in the first offer. Say you’re selling a car. You want to sell it for at least $3500. So, all you have to do is try and sell it for $4000. Then, you can haggle and barter down until you get the $3500 you want. If you’re lucky and good at this, you might be able to get a little more than you wanted in the first place. If you tried to sell the car at the beginning for $3500, you might end up with $3000. Negotiate down to what you want.

False Demands. This one is complicated and I don’t fully understand it myself, so there won’t be an example. You can get something out of negotiating that you don’t need, and try and use it against someone.

Negotiate from Authority. For most people, this simply doesn’t work. The example makes it very easy to understand. Have you ever asked your parents if you could stay out until 10:00? Then they say 8:00. Then, you say 9:30. Then they say 7:30. If you can tell that they’re going to do this, and you can get something reasonable, play it like ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ and walk away.

Playing Opponents against each other. This is what really helped me get my phone. My mom wanted me to have a phone, and my dad didn’t. All I had to do is sit back and relax while they argue it out. It took a while to get my mom to actually talk to my dad about it, but in the end it worked like magic.

Controlled Anger. This is where you can do one of 2 things. You can get yourself in a ton of trouble, or you can get what you want. If one side knows the other is angry, then they sometimes will give in easier. Make sure you control your anger, if you let it get out of hand, then you’re in trouble.

Aggression. If you are being aggressive with words (Make sure you’re not swearing and making insults to your opponent) then you can get the group to constantly discuss what you want.

Knowing when to surrender. Its always good to know when to stop, to not push something anymore. Know when to take what you have and leave.

Horse Trading. This is bargaining, bartering, and trading. “I’ll give you this if you give me that” sort of talk.

So, if you use all those to your advantage you’ll be a much better negotiator.

On to Model UN. Sometime in April, we’re going to a college in the Twin Cities, and there will be a bunch of pairs of us each representing a different country. We have to put aside our own personal views and just focus on our country’s views. Also we get to eat in a college cafeteria. One of the teachers at my school said that they have an ice cream machine where you can pull a lever and a bunch of ice cream comes out of a pipe thing, similar to what they would have at Dairy Queen. My teacher wants to lay down under it and have someone pull the lever. Maybe I should try that too…

Also I have a St. Paul urban Tennis winter class thing today with 2 of my friends. It started a few weeks ago, and its really fun. Soon I’ll add some of the stuff I learn in there to my Tennis blog, http://tennisnation.wordpress.com